2. Prayer; and to that purpose we have his wishes and promifes, which we may turn into prayer; O go to God, and put him in remembrance of that which he hath defired in his word, O that this people had fuch hearts, as would fear me and keep my commandments always, Deut, v. 29, Say unto the Lord, it is as eafie with him to create fuch an heart in thee as to with thou hadft fuch an heart. Put the Lord in mind of his promife, I will take away their fony hearts, and I will give them hearts of flefb. Ezek. xi. 19. Entreat him for the Lord's fake to make good this word to thee, cry to him, Come Lord and break this hard heart of mine, prick it, and launce it, and rather than I perish, let thy holy Spirit be a spirit of bondage to it, that I may be afflicted, and mourn, and weep for my fins.

3. To that affault of fwallowing up thy heart with over-much forrow, this is more ufual with God's people; : many a foul hath many a time complained, No heart fo hard as mine, my fins are above ordinary, of a fcarlet crimson dye, and my forrow is very poor and fcant, in no proportion to my great and grievous provocations, and, therefore as yet I cannot, dare not, will not meddle with any mercy, apply any promife, or be perfuaded that. Jefus Chrift belongs unto me. Oh that any fhould wilfully lye upon the rack of terror, and trouble of mind! Oh that any fhould lay himfelf thus open to Satan's horrible injecti ons, and cruel temptations! away, away with all excepti, ons, pretexts, fcruples, ftandings out to receive Jefus Chrift. And.confider,

1. It is not the greatnefs of thy forrow but the truth of thy forrow for fin, as fip, that God expects, The devil tells thee of thy great fin, and little forrow, and of the poor proportion betwixt thefe two; and the truth is, if an exact proportion of forrow to the inherent nature and demerit of fin be looked at, there is none fuch to be found. Alas! what proportion is there betwixt finite and infinite?. Thy forrow is finite, but thy leaft fin being against an infinite God is therefore infinite. And fuppofe thy forrow were infinite as thy fin, yet according to the tenor of the firft covenant it would not be acceptable, because there is

no clause in the covenant to give any hope of repentance; look therefore at the truth and fincerity of thy forrow, for this is the proportion of the gospel; heart-forrow is gospel forrow. When the Jews were pricked in their hearts then Peter like a good chirurgeon, would not keep those bleeding patients any longer in pain with their wounds open, but prefently he clapt on the healing plaister of the gofpel, Believe on the Lord Jefus, Acts iii. 37. Weeping foul, doth thy heart, when thou art in fecret weeping for thy fin, condemn thee? or doth it clear thee? if thy heart be false I cannot help thee, no nor the gospel neither; but if thy heart be fincere, then be of good comfort, for certainly thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

2. Jefus Chrift calls thee, is not that his voice Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you, Mat. xi. 28. Wade on a little with me in the unfolding of this fo comfortable a call, and be revived. First then here is to be confidered, who calleth. Secondly whom he calleth. Thirdly why he calleth. Every of these contains in it wine of comfort, and oil of grace to glad the heart, and to chear up the heavy countenance of the forrowful and fobbing foul.

1. Confider who calleth; Is it not the woman's feed appointed to crush and bruise the ferpent's head? Is it not that root of Jeffe, that fon of David, that fweet Emanuel, that meek Meffias, that merciful Jefus, that fole and only Mediator, who in his own perfon hath concluded a peace, and made a full atonement between the Lord and thee? Is it not that Jesus Christ shadowed in the law, foretold by the prophets, and in the appointed time exhibited? furely he it is, and none but he: Thou fayeft thou art a finner, a grievous finner, and he tells thee, His name is Jefus, for he will fave his people from their fins, Matth ̧ i. 21. Oh! if fouls would believe this, would not this dry up their tears? Thou fayeft, thou feeft him not, but thou haft his word, and he is real in what he fpeaketh. Suppofe then, that in the chamber where thou art crying after him, or in the church where thou art waiting for him, he fhould appear, and vifibly appear before thine eyes opening his bofom, and bowels, and blood before thee, and

calling

calling unto thee to this purpose, I entreat thee, and befeech thee, by all thofe tears I have fhed for thee in the days of my flesh, by all thofe bitter agonies I have fuffered for thee, by all those tender bowels which have been rolbeled together towards thee, come to me, embrace me, and Jay thy weary waltering foul in this bleffed bofom of mine. Who would not come in? Who would not rife out of the duft, and with chearful fpirit embrace the motion of his dear Redeemer? Why he it is that calleth thee.

2. Confider whom he calleth: Is it not thefe who are weary and heavy laden? Is it not those who are tired and overburthened with the weight of fin? Christ, and all gof pel promises belong to them that mourn in Zion; The fpirit of the Lord is upon me, faith Chrift, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath fent mè to heal the broken hearted.O thou afflicted, and toffed with tempefts, that haft no comfort, behold I will lay thy ftones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with faphires, &c. Luke iv. 18. Ifa. liv. 11. The fpiritual excellency of fuch a foul is declared by a fimilitude of a goodly, coftly, ftately fracture, which the Lord would build for himself, Thus faith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eterni ty, whofe name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alfo that is of a humble contrite fpirit, to revive the fpirits of the humble, and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones,' Ifa. lvii. 15. He that hath heaven for his throne, and earth for his footftool, hath yet another throne on earth, even in the hearts of humblé, contrite finners, They that fow in tears fhall reap in joy: ⚫he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious feed, fhall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his • fheaves with him,' Pfal. cxxvi. 5, 6. As fure as harvest follows feed-time, will comfort follow mourning; for therefore Chrift calls, that he may wipe away all tears from fuch as weep for fin. Indeed forrow for fin gives not the foul an intereft in Chrift as any caufe; in ftrict fpeaking there is no other condition in the covenant of grace, but only believing in Chrift; yet because no man will come to a Saviour, but he must know what need he hath of a Saviour; therefore we must be first convinced of

fin, and must be sensible of fin; they only will attend on Chrift's call, who feel fin a burden; as if a man be under an heavy burden in fome dark night, and hears but the noife of the feet of one paffing by, then he cries out for help; fo the foul under the heavy burden of fin, is glad to hear of any direction out of the word of God to come to Chrift, and therefore Chrift only calls them who are thus qualified; Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden.

3. Confider why, or to what end he calleth: Is it not to take poffeffion of Chrift and all his graces? Is it not to come to a pear, and sweet, and everlasting fellowship with Chrift himself? Is it not to have his perfon, and to have his privileges, reft, and peace, and reconciliation with his majefty? If Chrift fhould fay to thee, Come into the gar den, and there watch and pray with me, forrow and fuffer with me; wouldst thou not count it an honour? What is it then to fay, Come and have reft; come and I will eafe thee of thy burden of fin; come and I will sprinkle thy confcience with my blood, that thou shalt be able to give anfwer to all the temptations of Satan; thou halt have thy pardon now, and at the great day of judgment thy pardon fhall be folemnized by men and angels. Ah! poor foul, why weepeft thou? Is it not time to wipe thine eyes with Mary, and to fay Rabboni? Surely if God gives chee but a heart to make this real to thy foul, thou mayst depart in peace, and go away and blefs thy God, and fay with the Pfalmift, O now my foul return unto thy reft, for the Lord hath dealt very bountifully with thee,' Pfal. xi. 6, 7.

If yet thou fayeft, When is my forrow fufficient? and when may I receive comfort in due feafon?. I anfwer,

1. When the foul is weary of its bonds and fetters of fin, as much, and more than of the fetters of trouble; when the chains of corruption are grievous as pangs of confciences; when the foul hates Satan as a tempter, as much as a troubler, then it is ripe for comfort; but when the cry is louder, Oh my forrow! and oh my grief! then, Oh my fin! and oh my guilt! When it follows God, and

means

neans with, Oh give me comfort! but never with, oh give me grace! this foul is not ripe for comfort.

2. When the foul is contented, if God fee it fit and heedful for the foul to be longer without comfort; when a foul can pray in fincerity, Lord, if my rotten heart be not broken enough, break it more; if my fearched wounds be not throughly fearched, launce them, and fearch then more; if there be any wickedness in me, fearch me Lord, and try me till thou find it out; if I would be proud of thy favour, or if I would turn thy grace into wantonnefs, or get above ordinances and duties of religion, or proudly defpife my brethren that are lower than I, let me fast longer from comfort. Here is a foul (if any) that is ripe for comfort; but till a man come to this frame, it is a fign he is not truly broken, and therefore comfort to fuch an one would be like raw meat, that would never digest with him, the Lord hath not yet gotten the mastery over his will, and therefore no wonder if he lay more irons yet upon him.

SECT. VIII.

Of Satan's Affaults for feeking of Comfort.

HE foul forrowing for fin is now commanded to feel

T for comfort, and to that purpofe it is the Lord's meffage to his minifters, Comfort ye, comfort ye my 'people, speak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unte her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity, is pardoned,' Ifa. xl. 1. Satan knowing this, and perceiving the foul's difpofition to enquire after this, coins comforts of his own devifings, and prefents them to the foul, q. d. Come foul, will nothing ferve but comfort? Is this thy voice, Some crumbs of comfort to a poor languifhing foul? O make me to hear joy and gladnefs, that the bones which God hath broken may rejoice! why then thou fhalt have comfort; lo at the door ftands waiting for thee. thy old companions, join but with them, and they will drive away thefe dumps and melancholy fits: Doft thou not hear them fay, Come on, let us enjoy the good things that are prefent, let us speedily ufe the creatures as in youth, let us fill ourselves with coftly wines and ointments, and let no flower of the fpring pafs by us;

let